Murder suspect waives extradition

Thursday

Aug 21, 2014 at 4:47 PM

Christopher Brandon Lee, a former Marine and the alleged lover of murder victim 19-year-old Erin Corwin, has reportedly waived extradition from Alaska to California and will soon be in the custody of California authorities.

by Russel Langley/The Oak Ridger

Christopher Brandon Lee, a former Marine and the alleged lover of murder victim 19-year-old Erin Corwin, has reportedly waived extradition from Alaska to California and will soon be in the custody of California authorities.The Desert Sun newspaper reported Thursday that the 24-year-old will be immediately returned to California, where he faces a first-degree murder charge. The San Bernardino County (Calif.) district attorney has also filed an enhancement on the murder charge of "lying in wait." This enhancement will make Lee eligible for life in prison without parole or the death penalty if he is found guilty.Erin Corwin, who previously lived in Oak Ridge, disappeared from her Twentynine Palms, Calif. home on June 28 to take a trip to the Joshua Tree National Park. She was reported missing the next day by her husband, Jonathan Corwin, who is also a Marine and former Oak Ridge resident.Last Saturday, after an eight-week search, Erin's body was found in a 140-foot mine shaft. Her body was recovered on Sunday and identified using dental records. An autopsy on Monday confirmed the cause of death as homicide.Early in the investigation, Lee and his wife Nicole, moved to Alaska after his discharge from the service. Lee was arrested on the murder warrant in Anchorage on Sunday. Authorities said Lee admitted to conducting Internet searches on human body disposal. A witness also told police that Lee had asked him about disposing of a human body, according to court documents.Erin was in the early stages of pregnancy when she disappeared and according to documents released during the investigation, one of her friends reportedly told investigators that Erin and Lee were having an affair and that the unborn child might be Lee’s.No bail was set on the arrest warrant for Lee making him ineligible to be released on bail.Russel Langley can be reached at (865) 220-5514.

Christopher Brandon Lee, a former Marine and the alleged lover of murder victim 19-year-old Erin Corwin, has reportedly waived extradition from Alaska to California and will soon be in the custody of California authorities.The Desert Sun newspaper reported Thursday that the 24-year-old will be immediately returned to California, where he faces a first-degree murder charge. The San Bernardino County (Calif.) district attorney has also filed an enhancement on the murder charge of "lying in wait." This enhancement will make Lee eligible for life in prison without parole or the death penalty if he is found guilty.Erin Corwin, who previously lived in Oak Ridge, disappeared from her Twentynine Palms, Calif. home on June 28 to take a trip to the Joshua Tree National Park. She was reported missing the next day by her husband, Jonathan Corwin, who is also a Marine and former Oak Ridge resident.Last Saturday, after an eight-week search, Erin's body was found in a 140-foot mine shaft. Her body was recovered on Sunday and identified using dental records. An autopsy on Monday confirmed the cause of death as homicide.Early in the investigation, Lee and his wife Nicole, moved to Alaska after his discharge from the service. Lee was arrested on the murder warrant in Anchorage on Sunday. Authorities said Lee admitted to conducting Internet searches on human body disposal. A witness also told police that Lee had asked him about disposing of a human body, according to court documents.Erin was in the early stages of pregnancy when she disappeared and according to documents released during the investigation, one of her friends reportedly told investigators that Erin and Lee were having an affair and that the unborn child might be Lee’s.No bail was set on the arrest warrant for Lee making him ineligible to be released on bail.Russel Langley can be reached at (865) 220-5514.